| Show Piano Player is Curiosity I Rare Specimen of Such Instrument Made About 1780 Mechanical 1780 Mechanical Playing Device In Bottom I Philadelphia A A musical Instrument instrument I ment which is In all probability the only one of Its kind In this country county was presented to the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art Artand Artand Artaud and aud added to the collection of old pianos pianos pi pi- pl anos in Memorial hall han Fairmount park It Is one of the earliest specimens specimens specie mens of or a combination piano plana and player piano and was made about 1780 It is the gift of at D. D E. E Woolley I treasurer of the Estey company who secured It after a thorough search of I the country for some of the earlier specimens of this form of ot piano con can I The Instrument is a six-octave six piano Plana and resembles t somewhat In appearance appearance appear appear- ance the old-fashioned old style of book book- case It stands about seven feet bOOk I high and the case Is of mahogany Above the mu music lc rack Is a soft soft stationary I drapery which was intended to be both bolh ornamental and provide a screen for the Interior mechanism of the instrument In in- strument Age has placed Its Indelible indelible Indel Indel- ible mark on this ornamentation and it is now torn Jn n man many places being exceedingly fragile although It still preserves to some extent its original delicacy and design The most Interesting feature about I It however hoever is Its two foul use showing showing show show- I ing as It does docs that the Idea of a self self- playing Instrument Is far from a are re recent recent re- re cent conception As a piano plana It conforms conforms con con- forms to much of the general appearance appearance appear appear- ance of the usual antique upright Its mechanical playing device is contained con con- In the base of the Instrument but Instead of paper rolls such as are arenow arenow arenow now used the notes were produced by large wooden c cylinders lInders Into which were placed metal pins much on the principle of tho the well known music box Each of these cylinders contained three selections Three of or the cylinders accompanied the gift of the piano Although the selections that are played on It are arenow arenow arenow now barely distinguishable they are quaint in musical form suggestive atthe of at the compositions of Handel The mechanIsm that moved the rolls Is still in good condition This Is a spring motor on the order of a watch or music box and Is wound up by a crank As the cylinder Is turned the little metal pins strike projecting jacks which In turn raise the tho hammer from the strings of the instrument As each one is released It strikes a string and the note is Is' produced Provision Pro- Pro vision islon hits has been made for changing the time and also for producing varl vani ous effects in m expression according to the will of the person manipulating It |
